Removal of antibiotics from contaminated waters using natural zeolite

Author

BooYoung Lee, CUNY City College

Date of Award

2012

Document Type

Thesis

Department

Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

Keywords

Antibiotics, Sorption, Natural Zeolilte

Abstract

The occurrence of residual antibiotics in the environment has been a worldwide issue, and there is a need to develop methods for antibiotics removal from contaminated water. In this thesis work, the sorption of four antibiotics, namely chlortetracycline (CTC), oxytetracycline (OTC), ofloxacin (OFL), and enrofloxacin (ENR), on natural zeolite was investigated. The impact of pH and natural organic matter (NOM) on the sorption process was examined, and the maximum sorption capacity was calculated using the Langmuir-Freundlich sorption model. The results showed that at a neutral pH the maximum sorption capacity for the antibiotics was up to 8 mg/g. The sorption capacity increased as the solution pH decreased. The presence of NOM reduced the sorption of OTC but enhanced the sorption of the remaining antibiotics.

Recommended Citation

Lee, BooYoung, "Removal of antibiotics from contaminated waters using natural zeolite" (2012). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cc_etds_theses/91